Eduardo, Trend Forecaster, São Paulo

photo by Kevin Truongphoto by Kevin Truongphoto by Kevin Truongphoto by Kevin Truongphoto by Kevin Truongphoto by Kevin Truongphoto by Kevin Truongphoto by Kevin Truong

Eduardo, in his own words:“I never overthought what it meant to be gay. It always felt like something natural that some other people didn’t understand or accept as normal, but I always knew that they were the ones that were wrong. I never believed anyone who implied I was different. In fact, I always felt bad for them thinking of how much they still had to grow in order to let go of their prejudices, and how they might never be open for that, falling into a life of endless distaste.

To me, coming out was, in a way, accepting the challenge that I could have to face a world with fewer people and friends around me. But it didn’t take me very long to realize, first: those fewer people were the ones who cared about me the most; and second: that being myself was the key to make more likeminded friends and build more meaningful relationships.

Coming out to myself felt like a big step, but also felt very natural because it was something I always knew would happen one day. Like when you’re a kid and you know you’re going to grow bodyhair when you’re older, so you just understand and accept that idea as part of life’s flow. Coming out was the only possible thing to do, after all, living a lie doesn’t take long to get pretty tedious.

Coming out to my parents, on the other hand, took me a lot longer than I thought it would: about 8 years after I first kissed a boy. I knew they knew, but my family has always been very respectful of each other’s privacy. This way, coming out felt more like a formality to me, even though it was a very emotional moment. It was something I knew I had to do, and I knew that it wouldn’t be a big issue. I wish they still wouldn’t be so reluctant to ask me more about my love life, though. But I believe this is something that, year by year, will feel less weird for them.

(If I could give advice to myself before coming out) If someone ever hurts you, hurt them back, but make sure you do it in a clever way: make them realize their ignorance. And always say what you feel like saying to other people, whether it’s good or bad, even if you fear it might sound silly, no matter if people will like it or not.”